John Muir Trust launches eBook with a little help from their friends

The Record eBook was created in conjunction with the National Park Authority which donated £13,000 to the development of the technology and has been an exciting and worthwhile project for everyone involved.

The aim of the online Record eBook is to make it easier for people to share their experiences whilst completing the John Muir Award and encourage others to engage with the natural world. The National Park’s Education team work in partnership with the John Muir Trust to provide a framework for outdoor learning experiences for people and groups throughout the Park.  Since April of this year there have been just under 1,500 John Muir Awards completed in the National Park.

Charlotte Wallace, Volunteer, Education and Engagement Manager at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park said: “We are really excited to see the Record eBook coming to life and being used to help support and enrich the experiences of anyone taking part in the John Muir Award especially those within the National Park. The eBook means more people can share their experiences with nature and hopefully inspire others to explore their surroundings.  Next year is the Scottish Government’s ‘Year of Young People’ so this addition to the John Muir Award is a fantastic vehicle to reach a whole new audience and encourage young people across the National Park and beyond, to go outside and learn about nature.”

A group of P7 pupils and staff from Kirkton of Largo Primary School put the John Muir Award Record eBook through its paces when they visited National Park HQ in Balloch at the end of October. The school has a strong track record of utilising new technology and has won the Scottish Education Award ‘Learning through Technology’ twice in the last two years. The school group were returning from Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre where they’d been on a residential trip as part of their Award activity.

Ten year old Casey Wilson, said: “If you sit inside all day, you’re not learning as much as you do outdoors in nature. We like using technology because it helps us learn about the world around us and helps us to understand that we are actually in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.”

Kirkton of Largo Primary school Headteacher, Catherine Cunningham, said: “As a Microsoft Showcase School we were delighted to be able to pilot this new John Muir Award Record eBook resource in the National Park. We find engaging pupils with technology whilst in the outdoors goes hand in hand. Not only do pupils learn skills relevant to their own lives, they are also equipped to consider the purpose of digital technology, not just using it for the sake of using it. It helps them get more creative – adding to their story-telling and enriching experiences.”

The eBook is available on the John Muir Trust website and is fully compatible with mobile devices. Award participants can also easily share their updates on social media through the site.

The Record eBook can be viewed by visiting https://www.johnmuiraward.org/recordebook